Southern Rubber Boa

The southern rubber boa is a small snake with a blunt tail. Due to its secretive nature, it makes it very difficult to collect these snakes for data. However, a five-year study done in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California has been able to provide information on this reptile. The study was published in the Journal of Herpetology, and concluded that the female boas' length and weight out-performed the male boas. In addition, adult female boas were found to have greater percentages of tail tip scarring and tail shortening when compared to males. Furthermore, this study also explored the weight loss that happens during gestation for female boas and determined that female boas lose 47% of their weight during gestation.

The southern rubber boa is known to typically inhabit areas such woodlands and coniferous forests characterized by their developed soils and great vegetative productivity. These areas are typically moist and may contain accumulated organic debris that are largely-responsible for the moisture levels of inhabited sites. The southern rubber boa makes use of outcrops, loose and developed soils, as well as tree-debris to burrow and seek refuge.

A five-year study done in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California analyzed the diet and behavior of the southern rubber boa. This study discussed the behavior of the southern rubber boa and its distinct tendency to eat lizard eggs, rather than the lizards themselves. The behavior exhibited from the southern rubber boa to eat the lizard eggs and not the lizard, is what separates the southern rubber boa from other rubber boas. In like manner, this study also found that female boa injuries are primarily received through other animals protecting their young from boa predation.